Soft and Thick Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies

I’m 100% positive I found my very favorite peanut butter cookie recipe! I often find they get too crisp, or flatten out to chewy crackers or potato chips. This is the second time I’ve used this peanut butter cookie recipe, and it was no fluke that I loved them the first time. I honestly think the second time was better. That could also be because it’s January, and we’re all watching what we eat now, right? 😉

Let me go back to the first time I used this recipe. It was for our drink tasting party, and I had a hankering for peanut butter blossoms. I honestly thought my grandma made the best, but I was wrong. I made half the batch with peanut butter cups – I didn’t have kisses and wanted to use up what I already had in my baking cabinet. The other half I got kind of creative with. I have almost a case of Nestle Crunch bars (thanks, Dad!), so I figured I’d try chopping a few up and putting them in. Yeah, it was the bomb.

I made a double batch for my husband and his boys, who left me for the weekend to go on his annual ice fishing trip. Too bad for him it’s -20 degrees, probably colder where he is going. But maybe the cookies will help keep him warm, or the booze. You decide. Anyway, these cookies stay nice and thick, but remain soft and chewy – and not just for the day you baked them. They stay soft for days, which is awesome!

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed. One at a time, mix in peanut butter, egg, then vanilla, scraping down sides as needed. Slowly mix in baking soda and flour until just combined, careful not to over-mix. **This is where I added two chopped up Crunch bars. Use your own add-ins (chocolate or white chocolate chips, raisins, M&Ms, Kisses, caramel, or anything else you like) or just keep them deliciously plain. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with foil, parchment paper or cooking spray. Roll dough into approximately 1-inch balls, about 2 tbsps., and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine took exactly 10 to be perfectly soft, but this will vary based on ovens and size of cookies). Remove from oven, and if desired, press fork crosswise into each cookie softly. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

About Me

Success and fails, I'm documenting my cooking and baking adventures. I enjoy making healthy, exciting, and generally simple food, although I may stray from time to time. I'm also a beginner brewer, so I'll share my beer triumphs and tribulations as well.